Posts tagged: Certified Management Accountant

Written By Guest Blogger Ashley G.

My CMA materials have arrived! Now, where do I begin?

The obvious question is where does one begin? The material can be a bit overwhelming at first. So breathe deep, and let’s dive in.

For me, this answer is pretty simple. I have a pattern for all of my exams that seems to work pretty well.

1. Download the lectures into iTunes and put them on my iPhone. This allows me to listen to the audio lectures on-the-go, which includes at work, the gym, around the apartment, or on my commute. Virtually anywhere.

2. Break apart the study materials. The Gleim books easily lay out the coursework for you in clear categories. Some sections are bigger than others and may require more time. As such, I don’t recommend placing an unrealistic goal of completing one section a week; some sections can be twice as long as others. Additionally, this is a good time to lay out where your strengths and weaknesses are. My approach is to start out easy (to gain some confidence). Then, dive into the challenging material.

3. Print out calendars and decide on a true “game plan.” The important part to this process is being realistic and setting expectations that you can actually achieve. If there is an office Christmas party, chances are you won’t be studying that evening. So, you will have to counterbalance the rest of the week to achieve your overall goals. This is a great time to start marking important events, like family visits, on your calendar so that you can balance studying with various commitments around the holidays. Another important aspect to developing a game plan is allocating “review time.” From my experiences of failing CPA and CMA sections, I can tell you that it is never a good idea not to review.

4. Develop a study binder. This binder is my greatest study tool. In fact, anyone who truly has seen me study or has asked for advice has seen the binders. For both the CPA and the CMA exams, I have devoted a binder to each section. This binder helps me visualize things. I hate lined paper so my binder is mainly filled will tab inserts, notecards, and plain white printer paper. The calendar mentioned above is also maintained in the front of this binder. I typically make notations on the calendar when I meet my goals. I do this just to give myself some motivation. In the grand scheme of things, my strategy is usually to devote one page for every section. Granted, some sections contain multiple sub-sections, so prepare yourself for some small font. These study sheets also come in handy when you are reviewing later, especially when you’re traveling and don’t want to lug around your book.

That’s all the advice I have for now. I will put together my calendar and binder and share it with everyone in my next entry. Being organized is one of the best things to help you successfully prepare for the exam. I hope everyone out there finds these tips helpful!